Apparatus for continuous electrolysis of aqueous solutions.



A. PIETZSCH & E.-STEINBUGH.

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS ELBGTROLYSIS 0F AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS.

I APPLICATION FILED NOV.17, 1909.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

\NIENTORS,

ALBERT PlrsTzscH m oxEwAw STEmBucH,

PoTTL ALBERT PIETZSCH, 0F TRIBERG, GERMANY SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNORS TOSOCIETY BASEL, SWITZERLAND.

, AND EWALD STEINiBUCI-I, 0F IVIONTHEY, OF CHEMICAL INDUSTRY IN BASLE,OF

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS ELECTROLYSIS OF AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

Application filed November 17, 1909. Serial No. 528,598.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, -knnmrr lin'rz-sorr, electrical engineer, a subjectof the King of Saxony, and resident of Triberg, Grand- Duchy of Baden,Germany, and EWALD STEINBUCH, electrical engineer, a citizen of theSwiss Republic, and resident of Monthey, Canton of Valais, Switzerland,have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for ContinuousElectrol sis of Aqueous Solutions, of which the to lowing is. a full,clear, and exact specificatio In our application for Letters Patent No.528572 we have described a process for the electrolysis of aqueoussolutions, wherein the electrolyte is caused to flow from an upper to alower electrode and is enriched again by solid salt.between the twoelectrodes,

after havin been impoverished at the upper electro e, in order that asmany ions as possible of the initial electrolyte may travel in the oposite direction to the migrating ions ten ing to diminish the yield.

The object of the present invention is now an apparatus to carry out thesaid process for the electrolysis of aqueous solutions.

In this apparatus a support for solid salt is arranged between the twosuperposed electrodes and is preferably combined with a device forming atrap for the gases generated at the lower electrode.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 shows in vertical section thepreferred construction of this apparatus and Fig: '2 represents also invertical section a somewhat modified construction of the same.

In Fig. 1, a is the anode, b the cathode which is electrically connectedwith the iron container 0. 03 represents two partitions ofnon-conducting material separating the anode compartment from thecathode compartment and between these partitions there are stretched, onthe one hand, a porous fabric J6 which carries the solid salt f suppliedthrough the pipes 91 and, on the other hand, a porous fabric 9 closingthe bottomof the anode compartment and conducted over nonconducting rodsit giving the said fabric 9 a zigzag form, so that this latter may serveas a as trap; j is the pipe through. which the sa t solution is fed tothe apparatus and i is the overflow through which the formed lye isdischarged.

Assuming the apparatus is used for the electrolysis of a solution ofcommon salt, in order to produce soda lye, eration will be thefollowing: The salt solution flowing into the electrolytic cell throughj, after it has become artially impoverlshed at the anode, ows partlythrough the salt f and partly over this salt, and there is formed overthe fabric 9 a layer of concentrated salt solution which passes throughthe fabric 9 to the cathode compartment and thus prevents migration ofthe ions formed at the cathode into the anode compartment. The gas(hydrogen) generated at the cathode is caught by the corrugations of thefabric g and led away laterally. As the fabric 9 is situated .at acertain the mode of openriched with salt below the anode has to traversea distance of some centimeters before it arrives at the concentrated l esituated directly below the gas trap abric g and this long path itcatches the OH- ions migrating uwardly from the cathode b.

In the modlfie construction of Fig, 2, the

solid salt f is supplied directly on the porous fabric Z stretched inzlgzag form and closing the bottom of the anode compartment, the

said fabric serving consequently simultana ously as salt carrier and asgas trap.

hat we claim is:

1. An apparatus for the continuous electrolysis of an aqueous solution,having two superposed electrodes indifferent compartments, and means tocause the electrolyte to flow from the upper to the lower electrode, incombination with a support of permeable and non-conducting materialsituated between the two electrodes and designed to receive solid salt,and with'means to feed solid salt into the upper electrode compartmentin proximity of the said upper electrode substantially as described.

2. An apparatus for the continuous electrolysis of an aqueous solution,havingtwo' superposed electrodes in. difi'erent compartments, and meansto cause the electrolyte to flow from the upper to'the lower electrode,and a support of permeable and non-con ducting material situated betweenthe two electrodes and designed to receive solid salt,

.in combination with a device forming a trap for the ases generated atthe lower electrode an with means to feed solid salt into the upperelectrodecompartment in proximity of the said upper electrode,substantially as described.

3. An apparatus for the continuous electrolysis of an aqueous solution,having two superposed electrodes in different compartments, and means tocause the electrolyte to fiow from the upper to the lower electrode, incombination with a porous fabric adapted between the two electrodes toreceive solid salt, and with means to feed solid salt into the upperelectrode compartment in proriimity of the said upper electrode,substantially as described.

4. An apparatus for the continuous electrolysis of an aqueous solutionhaving two superposed electrodes in different compartments, and means tocause the electrolyte to flow from the upper to the lower electrode, aporous fabric adapted between the two electrodes to receive solid salt,in combination with a device forming a trap for the gases generated atthe lower electrode, and

with means to feed solid salt into the upper electrode compartment inproximity of the said upper electrode, substantially as described.

5. An apparatus'for the continuous electrolysis of an aqueous solution,having two superposed electrodes in different compartments, and means tocause the electrolyte to flow from the upper to the lower electrode, aporous fabric situated between the two electrodes and designed toreceive solid salt and a second substantially horizontal fabric closingthe bottom of the compartment of the upper electrode and stretched inzigzag manner in order to form a trap for the gases generated at thelower electrode, substantially as described.

(3. An apparatus for the continuous electrolysis of an aqueous solution,having two superposed electrodes in different compartments, and means tocause the electrolyte to flow from the upper to the lower electrode, aporous fabric situated between the two electrodes and designed toreceive solid salt, means to feed solid salt into the upper cell inproximity of the upper electrode, and a second. substantially horizontalfabric closing the bottom of the compartment of the upper electrode andstretched in zigzag manner in order to form a trap for the gasesgenerated at the lower electrode, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus for the continuous electrolysis of an aqueoussolution, the combination ofan anode chamber having an anode locatedtherein, a' cathode chamber having a cathode located therein, means forcausing an electrolyte to continuously flow through said anode chamberand past the anode therein into the cathode chamber and past the cathodetherein, means for supporting in a solid condition the salt to beelectrolyzed in a position between said anode and cathode chambers andin the direct lineof travel of said electrolyte, a permeable fabricprovided with ridges to support said solid salt and. staggered rods forsupporting said fabric in its rigid condition, substantially asdescribed.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names this 5th day ofNovember 1909, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT PIETZSCH.

EWALD STEINBUCH.

\Vitnesses: Y

GEO. GIFFoRu, AMAND Rrr'rnlz.

